The POWs Who Endured Vietnam's Most Infamous Prison

I love reading anything written about our brave POWs during the Vietnam war, many of whom were personal friends of my husband and myself. Also the courageous and faithfulness of their wives as they were holding down the home w/out the support of their husbands.

This is a remarkable book!! It is written in the same spirit as "Unbroken". It is so hard to Imagine the suffering experienced by our P.O.W.'s. This book leaves little to the imagination and explains in graphic detail the extent of that suffering. God bless our military men and women!!

Excellent report of what our POW's suffered and endured during this unpopular war. It especially documents the persistent and unyielding work the relatives and friends of these men had to do to keep the public and the government's attention on the POWs' plight.

Every American should read this book! What bravery! Everyone should know what those men went through for our Country. I also think the wives were so strong to persist in their efforts to have them brought home alive

the BOOK defiant all about distant cousin & grapically describes the torture they went through. Read an d donated to local VFW since its named after Jim Stockdale, one of the ALCATRAZ 11. Lyle Dunlap USN Ret.

This is a book that every true blooded American should read to fully under stand that caliber of men that survived the POW camps everywhere. I would surely hope someone sends a copy to our current day traitor Jane Fonda a copy.

Provides a full account of POWs in Hanoi. It tells the story of the 11 leaders & how they triumphed over torture and eventually returned with honor. Focus is in captivity but missing is how each came to be shot down. Also, no mention of a select few who may have been taken to Russia for questioning. For example my POW bracelet is for Major Robert Morrissey, who is still listed as missing...

Growing up in Va. Beach during the 70s, I distinctly remember wearing my mother's POW bracelet to school in 1st grade, even though I had no clue what it really meant. I also vaguely remember Jeremiah Denton's celebrated return (he was stationed in Va. Beach) in 1973. But, aside from reading Denton's "When Hell Was in Session" ions ago and the occasional media quip simply reminding us that John McCain was a POW, I really never received a proper understanding of the suffering experienced by American POWs in Vietnam until I read Alvin Townley's DEFIANT. Townley's collective account of eleven men who stood united and strong after almost a decade of unimaginable physical and mental torture proved to be an emotional read from beginning to end.

Townley's book details the experience of the "Alcatraz Eleven": eleven men who distinguished themselves as being so defiant to their captors that they were transported to a special prison within the POW system specifically designed to break their will by any means necessary. Paralleling the story of the long-term misery of these men is the account of a different misery experienced by their families back home, desperately trying to learn more about the status of their husbands/fathers but encountering frustrating bureaucratic incompetence and red tape.

DEFIANT is presented chronologically, starting with the first of the "eleven" captured with the remaining men individually brought into the story as they are in-turn captured. Even before the core group of eleven are in the same camp, a hierarchy is established according to military rank and the prisoners are expected to abide by the US military Code of Conduct which details how the men are to behave (resist) in captivity. The leadership quickly incorporates a simplified version of Morse Code that allows prisons to communicate with tapping fingers, broom strokes when sweeping or in Denton's case, blinking the code while being televised for propaganda purposes. From the start, the adherence to the Code of Conduct creates trouble for the captors who begin using torture to break the men's will to resist. When that doesn't work, the eleven key troublemakers/leaders of the prisoner resistance are plucked from the general POW prison (Hanoi Hilton) and transported to a much harsher prison that the men nicknamed "Alcatraz". At Alcatraz, the prisoners live in squalor and endure endless torture that bends but never breaks them. All eleven endure extreme physical pain at the hands of a sadist nicknamed Pigeye, who's proficient in using ropes to bend their bodies to the brink of snapping. Townley provides a fly-on-the wall perspective that allows readers to clearly see ("feel") the misery. What is difficult to fathom is that the torture wasn't occasional, but routine ... not for days, weeks or months, but YEARS. Amid the torture, these eleven prisoners STILL found ways to communicate, resist and endure. The display of ingenuity is amazing how things like loose wire, a small piece of clothing thread, tiny slivers of soap or other seemingly innocuous items became essential tools.

The book smoothly alternates between life in the prison and the desperate attempts of the families back home demanding government intervention to free their husbands/fathers. There is a palpable fear that as public support for the war sours, the POWs will be forgotten. I had no idea that the wives of the "Alcatraz Eleven" were responsible for creating POW bracelets and the iconic POW/MIA logo. The determination, dedication and courage of POW wives is an oft-overlooked chapter of the home front during Vietnam and Townley does a good job of meshing the two sides of the spectrum (prison/home life) to provide a complete picture of the POW saga. I found the entire book to be an emotional read. While the outcome is known, the book provides the details that still manage to evoke moments of sadness, frustration, fear and jubilation, especially when the families' struggles at home are detailed. The stories of the men and their families doesn't end when they return home, Townley graciously brings readers up-to-date on the lives of those involved, leaving no questions unanswered.

I found DEFIANT to be a thoroughly thought-provoking read from beginning to end. It is a story of patriotism, resilience, dedication and faith. While the Vietnam War may be a fading blemish on America's history, its public unpopularity should never overshadow the dedication to duty of those who selflessly served and the supportive families they left behind. DEFIANT reminds us of the caliber of men/women our country leans on in times of crisis.

"Defiant: The POWs Who Endured Vietnam's Most Infamous Prison, the Women Who Fought for Them, and the One Who Never Returned" by Alvin Townley is eye opening history of the Viet Nam POW's. We don't really think much about them or about the war, was it really a war? No matter what your views of the Viet Nam War were or currently are, we must remember those men who didn't go to Canada when their draft numbers were drawn. They went to an unpopular war and did their best to serve our country.

There's a lot we heard about back when the news reporters filmed from the front. But, more happening "behind the scenes" none of us heard much, if anything, about. This is the story of the POW's, what they endured, how they survived, and the women who fought to bring attention to the plight of the men they loved, to not allow them to be forgotten, and to pressure the government to do something about bringing them back home.

The resilience of the women in this book is nothing short of amazing and inspirational. They worked tirelessly, or so it seems, to bring attention to the men they loved and the importance of need to brings those men back home. It was absolutely heartbreaking to know what the men were experiencing while these sensational women pushed for their release in what seemed to be an impossible situation.

A difficult book to read yet so inspiring. A must read for everybody who has even a passing interest in history or the Viet Nam War.

The bravery of American POWs in resisting torture and supporting one another and doing their duty as best they could is inspiring. Townley's book is a fitting tribute to these men, including Admiral Stockdale who is, sadly, best remembered as a punch line for what was perceived as a poor performance in the 1992 Presidential debates as Perot's running mate. In retrospect, he wasn't really that bad in the debates, and Gore and Quayle were empty suits who did not deserve to be on the same stage with Stockdale.

Townley also tells the story of the POW wives who rebelled against the "keep quiet" policy of the Johnson administration as appeasement. In the end, one has to call out a nation for its criminal acts, otherwise one simply enables more acts done under the cover of secrecy and inattention.

North Vietnam's flagrant breach of the Geneva Convention is infuriating, particularly given all the propaganda crap at the time about how humane they were being. Their excuse was that the Convention did not apply to an undeclared war and that the air campaign fought by captured pilots was itself a war crime -- however they did not believe there own rationalization because they pretended to the world that they were not torturing the American POWs. Sometimes diplomacy can degenerate into appeasement, and the story of the POW wives in mobilizing opinion and in shaming the North Vietnamese to correct some of their abuses is an important object lesson.

The book suffers from a not-too-subtle subtext of criticism of the anti-war movement, many of whose adherents behaved stupidly in seizing upon the North Vietnamese as some kind of heroes and in mistreating returning vets. That the American POWs were heroic and that the North Vietnamese behaved crminally does not mean that the American cause was just. Like the POW wives, the anti-war activists were right in calling out figures of authority who breached their trust and who squandered lives. I found myself being angriest of all at the chair-borne warriors in the Johnson and Nixon Administrations who lacked the moral and political courage to choose against war.

On the whole, a very good book that gives these POWs their due.

It should not surprise the many fans of author Alvin Townley, that–after writing Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America’s Eagle Scouts where he shared what is great about America’s youth–Alvin would produce an even better book called Defiant about the values of a unique brotherhood, the POWS who endured Vietnam’s most infamous prison, the Hanoi Hilton. The author also captures the tenacity of the loyal women who fought from afar for the prisoners, and it remembers the prisoner who never returned..

This book is worthy of five stars for five reasons:

1. Alvin was able to gain the trust and cooperation of American war heroes and tell their story from the perspective of those who suffered greatly, but ultimately returned with honor after enduring unspeakable trials.

2.Alvin went to great lengths to comprehend the level of suffering the POWs endured by replicating the size of their cells in his home garage to better appreciate the isolation the Alacatraz Eleven endured during many years of solitude.

3. Alvin’s poignant depiction of the wives’ roles in spreading awareness at home as the POW families became public advocates for the prisoners. And his reporting on the impact the years of capture had on the families of the POWs.

4. Alvin’s extensive effort to follow the lives of the eleven from their youth through to their return home to lead productive military and civilian lives.

5. Alvin’s discovery that the prisoners reached back to their upbringing during hard times by vowing not to be quitters and repeating the Scout oath: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty…,” They remembered their military training …”They stared fear in the eye and had beaten it.” And most important, the men remembered to pray. Scripture provided them with an abiding faith that endured through torture and isolation.

In addition to the powerful portrayal of the values of the Alcatraz Eleven, this book captured an additional critical insight regarding the role philosophy played in Jim Stockdale’s leadership of the men. The reader will soon recognize that Stockdale’s resolve flowed from both the Book of Job and from the stoic philosopher Epictetus.

Defiant, with its stories of the Alcatraz Eleven, should be read and remembered. They have universal lessons for enduring all hardships.

Alvin Townley’s "Defiant” captures the horror and depravation of being a POW (Prisoner of War) in North Vietnam’s infamous “Hanoi Hilton.” No book can ever convey the true horror of being a POW, however, Townley has demonstrated an ability to put into narrative the powerful will to survive that the pilots exhibited while being tortured, starved, and beaten.

Also, Townley gives the reader a glimpse of what loved ones at home endured. The uncertainty and worry over husbands, sons, and fathers being held by a brutal enemy takes a toll of a different kind for those who wait at home.

“Defiant” centers around a specific group of POW’s who became known as the Alcatraz Eleven during their incarceration at the “Hanoi Hilton.” The book delves into their lives before being captured, how they were taken prisoner, and their harsh treatment while prisoners, making them more than merely military statistics.

The Vietnam War had the distinction of being the longest war in American history. During this twelve year conflict 725 United States military personnel were captured and interred of which 64 POWs died while in captivity, 8.8 percent, and none refused repatriation after the signing of the Peace Agreement in Paris on January 1973.

The Vietnam War also produced the longest held captives than any other previous American war. The longest held POW in the Vietnam War was Floyd Thompson, a Green Beret, and the first American taken prisoner. He was captured on March 26, 1964 and was not released until March 16, 1973; two weeks shy of being a prisoner for nine years.

Everett Alvarez, a Navy pilot, was the longest held POW in North Vietnam. He was a prisoner for 8 ½ years after being shot down in 1964 during the first combat mission over North Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Similar to the Korean War, American POW treatment varied according to whether they were captured in North or South Vietnam. In either location the goal was the same, break the morale of the POWs and exploit them for propaganda purposes.

The POWs in South Vietnam were kept in camps that often moved about to different locations to prevent American intelligence from learning of the number and location of POWs and attempt a rescue. This differed from World War II and the Korean War where POWs were generally kept in a permanent camp for the duration of the war. POWs were also held outside of South Vietnam and North Vietnam; some were held in Cambodia, China, and Laos.

“Defiant” is a powerful book in its own right and I highly recommend reading it. However, I find I can only give it 4 Stars because it did not offer anything new to the story of POW’s in Vietnam.

“Young Americans must never again be sent to fight and die unless we are prepared to let them win” President Ronald Reagan, 1988.

Michael P. Lefand Sgt, 1st Platoon, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. 1968 – 1970 Central Highlands, Vietnam.

Whether we believe that every war fought by America within our lifetime has been justified or not, the men and women who served their country with courage and integrity merit our respect. I won't comment on those in power who have led us into some of the foul swamps of recent history and dispatched american youth to face the consequences of their decisions. This book is about the boys who went to war and returned as men, many of them with deep, painful, unspeakable and unseen scars and who now live among us, many of them nearly invisible. Their stories should and must be told - they deserve that respect without question. And, we need to see the reality of history through their eyes. Else, we will surely stumble on blindly.

Years ago I read Jim Stockdale's autobiography "In Love and War." He was the highest-ranking officer held captive and was kept at the "Hanoi Hilton" and the torture he described was disturbing then. Now he appears again in a biography of sorts, along with his other captives, during a long and tortuous captivity and it's no easier to read. This book substantiates Stockdale's earlier version of his years as a POW and the torture sessions handed down to him. Even some of the torturer's code names, like Eagle, Pigeye, Rabbit, Chihuahua, Bug and Mickey Mouse. These were over five years of constant abuse, isolation and defeat. Only one, Ron Storz, did not make it.

Alvin Townley's writing is detailed and solid. The emotions that are evoked come from the details and not from any metaphorical prose. The details of the beatings and the hangings from ropes are disturbing, yet it shows how a group of men held together as a brotherhood, while wives and families fought for them in the rear. There is a persistent theme of dedication here on all sides: from the men, the wives and even the government. Men devise a secret tap code to communicate to each other, and their communal world consisted of a few inches under their cell doors. While the story may drag at times, the reader also knows the general outcome of the story, and celebrates along with the survivors on the release and return home in the end.

There are plenty of black/white photos. Research is derived from a plethora of sources, including recently-released military documents. While earlier books focus on individual survival stories, this one shows how as a united front ten of the eleven prisoners survived horrific imprisonment.